Bearing



Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT o-FIFICE 1 Claim.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a bearing adapted to receive the thrust of a propeller shaft in a boat, and the present application proposes improvements in `5 the structure shown in my former Patent No.

1,990,119, issued on February 5, 1935.

In the case at bar, it is proposednot only to take care of the end thrust, but, as well, to provide a means for supporting, for anti-frictional rotation, the propeller shaft of a water craft, thereby making it possible to turn the propeller shaft at high speed.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of l5 devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment/of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed,

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in horizontal longitudinal section, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation wherein parts have been removed, the shaft appearing in section, and

portions being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the lock washer employed. In carrying out the invention, there is provided a casing I of cylindrical form, the casing being supplied between its upper and lower surfaces with rigid, outstanding, laterally projecting foot plates 2 having openings 3 adapted to receive securing elements (not shown) whereby the foot plates may be secured rigidly to the timbers of a boat. The foot plates 2 are located in a common plane with the axis of the propeller shaft 4, and therefore the thrust of the propeller shaft does not have a tendency to turn over the device fore and aft and thereby put an unnecessary and undesirable upward pull on the securing elements which are mounted in the openings 3.

At its extremities, the casing I is provided with inwardly tapered recesses 5, defining shoulders 6 in the casing. The inner portions of the recesses 5 are smooth, the outer portions of the recesses being threaded. First retainers I which are hollow or cup-shaped, are threaded into the outer ends of the Vrecesses 5 yand maybe held in place by Vsecuring devices, such as set screws 8 threaded intothe `outer casingl. The retainers 'I are supplied at "their outer ends with wrench `heads 9, having internal grooves 52 receiving annular packings IIJ, which embrace the shaft 4 closely, the shaft extending through the casing from end to end, through the openings 21 in the retainers 'I.

The shaft 4 is provided with an enlargement, 10 which may be a collar or sleeve I I, located within the casing I and held on the shaft by any suitable means, such as set screws I2 threaded into the casing I, the set screws being prevented from backing out, because an annular binder I4, pref- 15 erably a piece of wire, is engaged in the kerfs of the set screws. The collar II is equipped with outwardly tapered, reduced ends I5, defining shoulders I6. The reduced ends of the collar or enlargement AII are supplied with longitudinal 20 slots II.

Disposed within the first or cup-shaped retainers 'I are second retainers I8 of annular form, which are threaded on the ends I5 of the collar II, the retainers I8 having seats 50 for the recep- 25 tion of a wrench. i

Anti-friction bearings are supplied, and each bearing includes an outer ring I9, an inner ring 20, a cage 2| located between the rings, and balls 22 carried by the cage and located between the 30 rings, the rings having races 23, which receive the balls 22.

When the retainer I8 is advanced, it crowds the inner ring 20 of the ball bearing tightly on the tapered end of the shaft collar or sleeve II, 35 into abutment with the shoulder I6. The inner ring 20 of the ball bearing, therefore, is securely held upon the shaft collar II, and consequently connected to the shaft 4 for rotation with the shaft. A lock washer 24, preferably made of 40 metal, is interposed between the second retainer I8 and the inner ring 20 of the ball bearing, the lock washer surrounding the shaft 4. The lock Washer 24 has an inwardly extended finger 25, received in the slot I'I of the ends I5 of the en- 45 largement I I on the shaft 4, the lock washer thus being held on the shaft for rotation therewith. The lock washer 24 is provided with outwardly extended annular resilient fingers 26, which engage the inner ends of the retainer I8 and pre- 50 vent that retainer from backing off with respect to the inner ring 20 of the ball bearing.

When the retainer 'I is threaded inwardly, it houses the retainer I8, and the outer ring I9 of the ball bearing is forced tightly into the 55 smooth tapered end of the recess 5 of the casing I, into abutment with the shoulder 6.

It is to be observed that the ball bearings serve two purposes: first, they take up the end thrust: and secondly, they support the shaft 4 for rotation, out of frictional contact with the casing I and out of frictional contact with any parts carried thereby, the openings 21 in the retainers 1 being large enough so that there is no frictional drag on the shaft 4, to amount to anything, the friction resulting from the packings I0 being so small that it need not be taken into account. About the shaft enlargement II, and within the casing I, there exists a chamber 28 for a lubricant. 'Ihe lubricant may be introduced through an oil hole 2S in the casing I, the oil hole being stopped at its outer end by a closure 30, such as a screw threaded into the casing I. The oil finds its way through the ball bearings, and into the cavities of the cup-shaped retainers "I, the packing rings I0 presenting an exit of oil about the shaft I4. The detailed construction of the article is such that end thrust is accommodated, and at the same time, the shaft 4 is anti-frictionally supported, it being possible to operate the shaft at a much higher speed of rotation than is possible in the device described in my aforesaid Patent No. 1,990,119.

Having thus described the invention, what is In a device for preventing longitudinal movement of the propeller shaft of a boat, a casing having internal shoulders, a propeller shaft provided Wth an enlargement located Within the casing and having tapered ends defining external shoulders; anti-friction bearings comprising outer rings located in the casing and engaging the internal shoulders, inner rings about the reduced ends of the enlargement and engaging the external shoulders, outer cup-shaped retainers threaded into the ends of the casing and binding the outer rings tightly against the internal shoulders of the casing, and inner annular retainers housed Within the outer retainers and threaded on the reduced ends of the enlargement, the in- L ner retainers binding the inner rings tightly against the external shoulders of the enlargement of the shaft.

CHARLES A. FERGUSON. 

